All Messed Up
by SkyFairies
Summary: Love. A thing that ruined her life. This feeling had put her mom in the hospital and created so many scars and bruises on her body. So how could she forgive it? Well, she didn't. But after she was forced to live with a certain pink haired boy, she discovered that just about anything could happen. Even what she hated the most. Nalu AU Image not mine
1. Chapter 1- Relax

**Hi guys! ;)**

**This is a re-written version of my old story which I took down before.**

**Hope you like it!**

* * *

It had been a really long day for Layla Heartfilia. She just got back from work when Igneel had invited her over for dinner. Of course, she couldn't refuse. This was her best friend and their family.

Layla wanted to relax for once.

And so she took a choice.

"Igneel? I'll be there." and the blond walked off towards the curb. A slim hand waved towards an incoming taxi.

"Mavis street please." she climbed in and shut the door behind her. Then the female took out her phone and texted her husband.

**Layla- I'm going to Igneel's for dinner. Get some take-out for you and Lucy. I'll be home at 9:00.**

And the stressed out woman sighed while leaning back. Hopefully, the night would help her calm back down.

**Layla- Lucy, honey, I'm going over to Igneel's tonight. Go make sure your father orders some food and I'll be back at 9:00. Love you.**

**Lucy- Sure mom. Tell Igneel I said hi. ;) **

Layla just felt so much better talking to her daughter. Even if she wasn't with her too often, Lucy was still that little girl she loved and played with. But with so much work now, their family was falling apart. That little golden child was closing off. The mother could tell. But Lucy wouldn't speak or budge.

And Jude. She sighed once more. He was just... boxed up. When they had gotten married, she just felt like flying. Layla just knew this would be the best time of her life.

But when Lucy came... things just started breaking. The wife was happier than ever. But the husband...

He started becoming more closed off. Now, she couldn't even go through a texting session without him suddenly leaving. Truthfully, the woman wasn't sure of anything.

And she was sure as hell that this life was seriously messed up right now.

* * *

"It's alright Igneel, I'm sure the storm isn't too bad." Layla tried convincing her best friend.

"Nonsense. The news says that no one is supposed to go outside right now. You'll just have to stay the night." he stood his ground.

"But Lucy-"

"You can call her. I'm sure she wouldn't want her own mother to get caught up in this storm." Igneel said. The worried woman groaned. But she knew when it was over.

Her fingers dialed a number. She waited for Lucy to come on.

"Yes?" a shaking voice spoke.

"Lucy!" Layla exclaimed, not noticing the tone of her daughter's voice.

"Oh, mom." she replied.

"I'm afraid I'll have to stay at Igneel's for the night. Apparently," she shot a glare to the man.

"-This storm is too big for me to handle. I can take a taxi home in the morning though." the brown eyed female finished.

"I-it's ok mom. Just come back in the morning ok?" and Layla took note of the fear mixed into the replies from Lucy.

"Is everything alright over there?" she asked worriedly.

The female could have sworn she heard a gruff voice on the other line.

Just then there was a noise. The phone had dropped onto the ground. Shuffling could be heard.

"No, I'm good mom. See you tomorrow." and the girl hung up.

"W-wait," but it was too late. There was a frown upon her pretty face when she took the phone away from her ear.

"What's wrong?" her friend came over. He had left to grab something and came back to see his old friend with a furrowed brow.

"Lucy seemed... tense. Is that supposed to be normal?" the brown eyed lady asked while staring at the electronic device in her hands.

"I'm not too sure. But you can confront her about it tomorrow." he stated.

"Yes, but this already happened once before and Lucy didn't tell me anything." she spoke slowly while deep in thought. Igneel was quiet for a moment.

"I'll talk to her for you. Maybe she needs someone else to ask her about it." he spoke.

"Maybe. I really have no idea what to do these days." Layla looked into his dark eyes.

"I'll go see her. It's part of my job. After all, Lucy is my daughter too." he grinned at that. And it was true. Igneel looked after Lucy ever since she was born. Although the man had noticed Jude's unhappiness towards him, nothing had ever been said about it. So the red haired male just took more caution when interacting with the other.

Igneel thought of himself as a second father to Lucy, but he had never heard about this...although it did make sense.

Lucy didn't come over or talk to him anymore. Igneel always tried to see her again but to no avail. Nothing worked.

"You should go to sleep. She expects you in the morning." he said softly.

"Alright then. Good night Igneel." and she went up the steps to her room. That left the thinking man alone downstairs.

Why was Lucy acting like this? And why was Jude so closed off now? From what the red haired father had heard, Layla didn't even know what was wrong with her husband anymore.

It was really strange.

"Dad?"

The male turned around to see his pink haired son standing at the foot of the stairs.

"Natsu."

Igneel suddenly realized something. Natsu and Lucy had never met before. That was surprising. Oh well. The guy could just set them up together one day. Who knew? Maybe Layla could be his sister.

"Uh, dad?"

The daydreaming man snapped back.

"Yeah?" he managed to speak.

"Why's Layla staying here?" his son asked sleepily.

"There's a storm outside. She'll go in the morning." Igneel spoke absentmindedly.

His son just nodded a bit and yawned. Then, a noise suddenly penetrated the silence. Natsu scrambled for his phone. When he finally fished it out of his pocket, the boy looked at the caller ID and sighed.

"Yeah Lisanna?"

Oh. That was right. The guy had a girlfriend.

"I'm going to bed right now."

Igneel's eyes furrowed. He was sure he had taught his idiot son a few things about women before.

Rule number one: Don't snap at them.

"OK. Night." and the male turned around to go back upstairs.

"I thought you had manners young man. Don't snap at your girlfriend." Igneel called after him. The onyx eyed teen turned around and looked at his dad.

"Girlfriend?...I don't even know _who_ she is anymore." and Natsu slipped out of sight.

*blink*

The man groaned. Why did all the stuff have to happen with HIM? Just then, another ringtone came up.

"Honey?"

"Yeah. How's Wendy?"

Not to mention his prized cook/wife was away on a trip. The man looked over at the pizza boxes left on the dining table. Good thing Layla loved simple food. His eyes then turned to the dirty dishes in the sink.

"Huh? No no. Everything is just _great."_

* * *

**First chappie over. I hope you guys think this has improved.**

**I certainly feel better about it.**

**Feedback? Better or worse?**

**Love all of you. ;)**

**(Your just so frickin awesome *sparkle*)**

**-SkyFairies**


	2. Chapter 2- Cheating

**So SECOND CHAPPIE! YAAAY!**

**This was uploaded with chapter 1.**

**Just so you could have more to read.**

**Enjoy. ;)**

* * *

Layla woke up the next morning feeling extremely refreshed.

Her mind went to the previous night. It was great to be able to hang out with her old friend and joke around.

Not to mention his son.

The woman smiled while looking up at the white ceiling.

Natsu had really grown up. He was now a star in the soccer team. Just like Igneel.

The boy had also grown in looks too. He sported unruly pink hair and a strong, masculine face. Very handsome. No doubt the male took after his father. Heck, she wouldn't be surprised if he was popular in school too.

Her body rolled over in bed.

Grandine was away on a business trip. Apparently, she was needed in another city for surgery. Wendy had tagged along. From a young age, she was interested in the hospital and it's work. The little girl was a true prodigy.

She chuckled. That was the complete opposite of Igneel.

Yawning, the golden haired female sat up and quickly got out of bed.

She raked her fingers through her hair, hoping it didn't look too bad.

Switching out her clothes, Layla left Grandine's pajamas on a chair and rushed downstairs.

The blond was in the middle of putting her shoes on when someone else came.

"Are you leaving already?"

Igneel walked over, looking rumpled and sleepy. Near his feet, Happy was sitting down and licking his face.

"Yeah. I don't want to keep them waiting. Especially Lucy." Layla finished tying her laces and opened the door.

"Well, tell her she needs to come over sometime. We have a lot to talk about." he grinned.

"Sure. She's probably just really busy with schoolwork now."

"Ha. I wish Natsu was like that. The only thing he works on is dropping that grade down." the father frowned.

"It's just the teenage cycle. Not to mention you were like that too in high school." she smirked.

"But I made it through!" the older man whined.

"If that means taking my notes and copying off them then yes. You did make it."

His eye twitched a little. Hey, it wasn't his fault people invited him to parties all the time.

"But I really have to go now. See you later Igneel." she rushed out and into the hallway.

He heard the familiar ding of the elevator.

"Stay safe Layla." he shouted out.

"Yeah yeah."

Two metal doors closed up.

The last thing he saw was her rolling those brown orbs.

* * *

Meanwhile in another apartment...

Lucy was in her room, looking out the balcony.

She sighed and went back into the bathroom.

"I guess I'll just have to wait." she whispered while looking into the mirror.

Bruises and red marks outlined her skin. A few scars could be seen around her shoulders too. Dried blood stuck to her cheeks.

She turned a handle. Water came pouring out of the tap.

A towel was put underneath the liquid, soaking it up. Then, it was brought to her multiple wounds.

Wincing, the female gently cleaned up all the red substance and grime from her skin.

She looked at the torn flesh and felt disgusted. Disgusted with herself, disgusted with her life, disgusted that she had ever been born.

A shaking hand reached for some concealer cream.

The chocolate brown eyes were hollow and empty.

No tear marks.

She had cried herself out a long time ago.

"I wish things could just be different."

The blond girl looked away from her horrible reflection.

And then Lucy began the long process of covering her pain.

While applying another barrier.

Separating her from the truth, and a fantasy.

* * *

This time the woman had taken a bus back to her home.

She was currently sitting next to a window. Her face was reflected on the clear glass and the city was just passing by.

People were crowded on the vehicle.

Even on a weekend, Magnolia was bustling around. People walking out of a café, hanging out with friends, going to the mall.

Nothing ever stopped.

A breath of air puffed out of Layla's mouth.

She groaned inwardly. Tomorrow was a work day. Which meant more time in the office writing and typing while drinking up to 10 cups of coffee an hour, just to keep her eyes open.

Just then, they stopped in front of a familiar building.

She quickly got up and moved through the crowd of people.

"Excuse me." the woman muttered and finally got off the red bus.

She stretched her limbs for a second and then walked off.

Soon, the female stood in front of a big structure and walked inside.

Layla waved to the receptionist and got inside of another elevator. She pressed one of the many numbers and slowly, the box moved up.

Two eyes were focused on the floor levels, waiting to reach her destination.

Finally, the doors opened and her feet stepped out onto a carpet.

Moving towards the end of the lined up doors, she pulled out a set of dangling keys.

Unlocking the door, the blond went inside the large space.

She took off her shoes and moved into the kitchen to get a glass of water. The place was eerily silent. Well, it was the weekend.

Taking one last sip, the brown eyed female walked over to her daughter's room.

She stood outside, contemplating whether to knock or not. Layla eventually decided to let Lucy sleep for a bit more.

The woman moved over to her husbands bedroom and silently opened the door.

What she saw made her blood run cold.

A dark haired female was sleeping in the same bed as Jude. The two were facing each other, clothes rumpled and legs tangled together. They both had clothes on, but barely enough.

Layla's eyes were wide open.

"What?" she whispered.

* * *

**Hehehe. What just happened? New chappie comin' up.**

**Good? Horrible?**

**Just give me some of your opinions. ;)**

**-SkyFairies**


	3. Chapter 3- Gray Sky

_**CHAPTER 3**_

_**All Messed Up**_

* * *

_Some people get to have their dream life._

_But others are forced to the dark._

_Take the chance to see the light._

_Or let someone else help you._

_o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o_

She was still in shock. Her HUSBAND had cheated on her. The one she had been with for nearly 17 years. And he left with someone else.

Layla was sitting near the window, watching the sky. Gray clouds rumbled overhead. No doubt it was going to thunderstorm soon. She let out another sigh. It seemed like she was doing that a lot lately.

Just then, the door slammed shut. She turned her head around slowly, not wanting to see the face that just plunged her heart into a pit of darkness and pain.

"We need to get a divorce."

What? _WHAT_?

So your wife found out you've been sneaking around with another woman. And that was the first thing you said to her? To get a divorce? Her two feet seemed to move all on it's own.

*SLAP*

A pale hand suspended in midair. Jude's face was turned to the side. Bangs prevented anyone from seeing her angered expression.

"So I stayed with you these seventeen years." her arms shook slightly.

"For nothing?"

The usually sweet voice was even and emotionless. No one could tell what she was feeling right now. Hints weren't given. Life isn't so easy.

"I married you. And no answer?" His face was turning back around.

"A divorce paper. You want a divorce."

Inside, she was breaking down. Because realizing the one you loved was just faking? It's enough pain to last a lifetime.

"So what? You're just going to stay quiet?" She waited for an explanation. You'd think she deserved one.

But Jude had enough of her. After all, he only had toys to play with now.

"You're annoying."

Her eyes were wide open. Fear clearly seen swirling around in the brown. Silver flashed. Blood splattered across the carpet.

Red was stained against white. Sinking in ever so slowly.

Never to come out.

* * *

_Little Lucy was sitting in a room, all alone. __She had grown old enough to understand now._

_Don't trust daddy anymore._

_But how could you now? __How could you ignore the one who MADE you? __You couldn't possibly understand the fear and terror w__hen you suddenly realized you said something wrong a__nd he was just staring. _

_Taking deep breaths._

_You don't know when he would strike. __You didn't know when he would give you another thing worth crying for._

_"You know you're just a mistake don't you? So no one cares."_

_But-_

_"No one will ever look at you as if you have anything worth to say."_

_I-_

_"You can just go to rot. Anyone going to look?"_

_Mama-_

_"Leave. I don't want to see you face. Get out."_

_She was pushed outside and into the hallway. Away from her home. __Oh wait, it never was._

_Tears threatened to spill. __The door slammed shut. __Locked out of that fantasy. Thrust into the truth. S__he slid to the ground._

_Because knowing you weren't supposed to even breathe? __Having someone to slap that in further? __A heart can only stand so much. __Things most people would never have to face. __Things that were all brought up upon this little girl. __One who entered the world, seemingly unwanted._

_So part of the pain was cast into those salty drops of water, a__nd the rest built up inside._

_Bandages only take so much. __They stay for a second._

_The hurt you feel inside?_

_Eternity could fit the blank._

* * *

Lucy had finished. She sat down on the bed, nothing to do. Her mind was as blank as the piece of paper sitting on the desk.

*SLAP*

The girl sat up. What was that? She walked over to the wall cautiously, a bit curious of what was going on. Those brown eyes widened considerably when she heard her mom's voice from the other side.

When did she get home? Was Minerva still here?

"A divorce paper. You want a divorce."

The female was shocked. What had happened?

"You're-"

She didn't hear that last part. Silence. Suddenly, there was a gunshot. You couldn't mistake it.

No...

A hand went up to her mouth. He didn't... he COULDN'T. She started trembling again.

It was all her fault. If she hadn't been born, then Jude wouldn't have had a burden to deal with. He wouldn't have sunk down into a tired and heartless person. He wouldn't have wanted to avoid Layla if not for her annoying daughter.

Lucy had gotten her mom hurt. The blonde had made her father sneak around. She brought this all on herself.

No one else to blame but her.

And now what? What could a mistake do? Obviously not try to fix it alone. She would just mess up even more. The teen quickly slipped on her shoes and ran. Ran away from what she did and to someone who could help.

Lucy ignored the flaring pain from her recent beatings. She went through the streets. It was raining.

The sky was crying.

* * *

_**End.**_

_**How was this? I just thought I'd leave on a(kinda?) cliffhanger.**_

_**Hope you liked.**_

_**Please leave a review! I'd like to know what you thought. ;D**_

_**This one was dedicated to all of you. Because you deserve half the credit.**_

_**Love ya. **_

_**-SkyFairies**_


	4. Chapter 4- Good or Bad

_**CHAPTER 4**_

**All Messed Up**

* * *

_Two feet clash against the ground._

_Running forward, always._

_Those eyes look ahead to a future._

_Even if the mind doesn't see yet._

**_x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x_**

Lucy ran along the walkway, pushing through the multiple crowds, ignoring almost everything.

Annoyed shouts were all put in her direction. But those ears were deaf.

The blonde girl was crossing the street without looking both ways. She made it safely across but suddenly, something passed by from behind.

Golden hair swayed. A lumbering truck had swept through, bearing it's shining headlights. Cutting through the air.

Maybe she should have stayed on that road. It would have done her and probably everyone living a great favor. The female certainly didn't want to be here anymore.

The pale face kept it's emotionless barrier.

No. This was all her doing.

A weed in the flourishing garden. One that spreads through, like a disease. Poisoning everything in its path. A mistake that created an even bigger problem than herself.

How ironic.

And it was up to her to do something about it.

She lifted the pale face up.

Drops raining down from the gray sky splattered across her skin. It seemed like tears were flowing in tiny rivers, bearing the weight of gravity, pulling down.

She sighed silently.

Yes. This was her realm. A world of raining tears. Backgrounds with dark colors. Suitable for her.

Funny isn't it, rain can be a calming element. Quiet and pattering in the background. Yet, when things build up, all is let out. And the seemingly gentle beads of water turn into sharp knives.

A place with sadness and misery. She opened her eyes again and ran on. That mind only focused on one thing now.

Sights trained on one spot in the distance.

Determination could be seen in all of her features.

And so Lucy continued her search.

With that thick wall surrounding, and non-existent cracks.

Not knowing that even if it was a gray world-

There's always a rainbow after the rain.

Always.

No matter how long the downpour lasts.

* * *

A man was in an apartment. He looked at the still body on the ground with cold eyes. Not making a sound, the male took all of his belongings and walked into the room next door.

Looking in, he noticed no one was in there. Shock was written all over his face. His ears had never heard anyone leaving.

The man's mind went into a frenzy. He was going to be in trouble if he didn't think of a plan. The blond male needed to get away, and fast.

The body stayed still while inside, everything was a panic. Pages laid out, thoughts formed, actions were planned.

Walking out the door, an overcoat was put on. His hand reached into the deep pocket and pulled out a cell phone.

He made an urgent call with someone and quickly explained the situation. The two came to a conclusion and the device was put away.

Jude walked away, leaving no evidence behind.

Seemingly disappearing from two lives for a long time.

Whisked away with the wind and seasons.

Turning on a corner, to another destination.

Explanations and secrets leaving along with him.

* * *

Natsu was having a normal morning. Well, normal by his standards.

"DAD! WHERE'S THE FOOD?" he yelled out while rummaging through their empty cabinets.

"CHECK THE FRIDGE!" a voice rang out from upstairs.

"NOTHING!" he faced the stairs while holding open the fridge.

"GO TO THE MARKET!" and a wallet came bouncing down. Natsu sweatdropped.

"OI! I'M NOT GONNA BE YOUR MAID!" his fist shook at the ceiling.

No answer.

The teen sighed heavily and picket the leather object up. Well, at least he would be in charge of what food to buy this time.

The pink haired male remembered the last time they were shopping. He had been lazy and didn't go. The result was when Igneel had glanced at a dieting commercial and decided that NATSU could shed a few pounds. WHAT THE HELL?! He was a prodigy in sports! And carrots were a bunny thing.

The man rolled his eyes and slammed the door shut, almost knocking the hinges off.

"Oops." he muttered and just continued on.

Straggling into the elevator, he leaned against the wall and pressed the button for the lobby.

Just as the metal doors almost closed, a girl came out and was running towards him.

Using his natural instincts, Natsu quickly put his hands between the door and successfully stopped it from moving in any further.

A brunette was panting and stumbled into the elevator.

"Thank you." she let out while being hunched over.

"No problem." and he resumed his spot by the wall.

She glanced up and immediately blushed. The guy with her in the large device was certainly handsome. She could see his muscles and six pack. Not to mention his unruly hair and strong facial features.

But the teenager didn't seem to notice and was just mumbling random things under his breath such as 'idiot dad' and 'dieting'.

She was very confused and just stared at the ground, still bearing a red face.

Just then, there was a ringing sound and her companion had swept out into the large room as soon as the bottom floor showed.

* * *

"Jeez, this'll be a long trip." the male said to himself while speed walking out.

And just as he made it out the glass doors, a girl with flowing blond hair bumped into him.

His onyx eyes widened and he quickly regained his balance, putting a foot behind them.

"Hey, you ok?" Natsu asked while looking down.

'_Strawberries' _he thought.

'_Wait what? No no no. I'm not becoming that smelling pervert Loke.' _the male shook his head, trying to clear those thoughts out.

And that was when his mind realized that he, Natsu Dragneel, was holding a teenage girl probably the same age as him in his arms. Also, they were both soaking wet.

The strong male distinctly felt the cold raindrops falling onto his skin.

The stranger lifted her face up. The boy could definitely see that he had never met her before.

Large brown orbs stared straight up at him. Hope flashed through an emotionless mask.

"Igneel?" she whispered.

He jolted in surprise. Many people had mistaken him for his father, because they both looked and acted alike. But he had pink hair, and Igneel red.

The strange girl then noticed his hair color.

"Oh." she let out in disappointment.

Natsu could see the sad expression and wished he could be of more use to her.

"Um, do you know my dad?" he asked.

* * *

If Lucy had been running for a long time now, she didn't let it show. Even if her legs felt like fire, she wouldn't take a break. Her mom had been the only one in her whole life to show a but of kindness. As a child, Lucy had always been home-schooled so she never saw any people her age too often. And when she did, she wasn't allowed to talk to them.

Her mother had given her a life to live for. But now she repaid with a gun. That weapon might as well have been shot by her.

The scenery passed by in a blur. She just needed to make it to the only other person she trusted. And just then, a flare of unspeakable pain shot up from her legs and arms.

An almost unnoticeable wince flashed through her features. The bruises and cuts hadn't healed yet. And to make it worse, she could feel some makeup washing away from the rain.

At that moment, Lucy registered something. This place looked very familiar.

She looked all around, while still running forward.

Yes!

Her destination was just up ahead. Remembering that there was no time to waste, her body used up her last burst of speed.

Just to get to that tall building up ahead.

Making it through the crowds and workers,she ran across the roads and streets.

Finally, the shining glass doors appeared up ahead. But someone was just coming out.

The blond was going too fast and couldn't stop in time. Well, unless she wanted a face to face meeting with the hard ground.

Her eyes shut tightly as soon as the person's shirt drew near.

"Ugh." she grunted softly. The breath was knocked out of her lungs and she was way too tired to move.

The female expected to bring them both down, but this stranger was pretty strong and managed to hold them both up.

Lucy could feel a six pack underneath her hands. Thank goodness the man wasn't weak. She wasn't sure she could get up on her own.

"Hey, you ok?" the guy asked.

To most girls, his voice would have sounded smooth and dreamy. But this one wasn't like most females at all.

She opened her mouth to reply but came up with nothing.

The brown eyed woman could now experience the full pain of her journey and the toll on her multiple wounds.

But that voice sounded oddly familiar...

"Igneel?"

That was the first word to come out. The person holding her up looked exactly like the caring father she knew and loved. All his facial features were exactly the same.

Yet after closer inspection, the girl could see that he had pink hair instead of a fire red. Also, this one looked so much younger. Her face fell without knowing.

"Oh." she murmured.

His onyx eyes looked into hers and she could see the confusion swirling around.

"Um, do you know my dad?"

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

In another perspective, time seemed to stop. We all know that this golden haired girl had just shook hands with fate. But in her mind and soul, nothing happened. No spark. No click. No understanding. No KNOWING.

And that one sentence would change her dark and stormy world.

Because sometimes, the simplest things can mean the most.

For good, or for bad.

* * *

**OK, finally done this chapter. Took me a lot of my study halls but I made it.**

**So this chapter is dedicated to amulet2579. I DIDN'T FORGET! ;P**

**And I wanna give a shout out to chara beats 90. Still celebrating! Congrats ;).**

**So that's it! I think this was a pretty good chapter;) look forward to writing more and reading your responses!**

**You're all awesome. ;) Yes. Yes you are.**

**-SkyFairies**


	5. Chapter 5- Visitor

**AUTHOR NOTE-**

**HAIII! I'm not dead yet, just slow. ;)**

**So I've been busy lately, and ****I know there are other stories and NO I don't have writer's block but I'm just focusing more on this fanfic for now.**

**Dedication- To all the readers and reviewers who take the time to read this fanfic. I thank you for your support! **

**Note- Please tell me if my story seems to feel beginner or if I need more details, anything like that.**

* * *

_**ALL MESSED UP-**_

_**Chapter 5**_

* * *

_Change is inevitable. _

_And yet people still try to avoid that._

_Everyone falls at one point._

_Change may happen, but the strong ones are the people who get__ up and keep walking._

_x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x_

Igneel had always been a loyal man. Sometimes crazy, yes, but never backing down on what he believed in.

In school, he had been well known for playing soccer and for his good looks. But aren't all popular people like that?

Usually.

Igneel dealt with his fans pretty well and was always very easygoing. But really, no one had ever seen him with a girl or with a friend in general. Add that mystery to everything else and there you have it.

The one person who seemed to be the topic of conversation everywhere on campus.

Most wouldn't be surprised if his face showed up in the school newspaper almost every week.

Nothing ever changed. Same routine everyday.

But one day, students and teachers suddenly noticed a blond girl next to him. She wore plain glasses and usually had her hair in a ponytail. Most would always wonder why the great Igneel had his first friend be like that.

If you asked the two, Igneel would most likely just say something like, "Oh, why? Layla's just special." and then laugh a bit while scratching the back of his neck.

Layla would have just held her head down and mumble, "If you need to know, go ask Igneel."

And so, no one ever had a real answer for that question.

But sometimes, the two old friends would still think about their meeting and smile.

Because in reality, how could they have ever gotten through without the other?

* * *

_A blond was sitting on top of the roof, earbuds in both ears and notebooks scattered around her. Her brown eyes were focused on the work in her hands and a pencil flew around wildly. She murmured random words at times while writing furiously._

_The scenery was simple. A plain white floor with a door slanting on the ground. Some misplaced leaves littered the area and one puddle had formed in an empty corner, waiting to evaporate._

_A small metal bar outlined the edge with the occasional pole to support its weight. Besides the small gusts of wind that picked up the crinkled brown leaves into the air, everything was empty and quiet. _

_The girl had just put away one notebook and was reaching for her journal when a slamming sound penetrated the peaceful silence. A marble notebook fell back to the concrete and the startled teen looked up quickly, eyes wide and confused. Like a deer caught in the headlights._

_Another soft breeze flew in, making the strands of gold float around her face._

_"Woah! I never knew this roof was so empty!" a male had just come up and his red hair was flying in the air. A tan hand was acting as a shield over his dark eyes, blocking out the sun's bright rays._

_His expression seemed calmed and excited at the same time._

_Layla wasn't sure of what to do just then. She never really interacted with others and that was perfectly fine with her. The girl was more of a silent person, relying mostly on herself._

_Her posture was stiff and still. To be truthful, she wasn't sure why her body reacted this way either. Was it because she was nervous around others?_

_Probably._

_"Hey!"_

_The female teen was startled into looking towards the voice. She saw the person waving and showing a toothy grin in her direction._

_'Well, he isn't going to leave anytime soon now' she thought while sighing internally._

_Her pale hand, now having regained control, picked up the flipped notebook and opened up to her notes from the day before._

_She found her pencil lying near her thigh and started on the new assignment._

_"Yeesh, you've got a lot of notes!"_

_Her mind scattered again and she only faintly realized that the man had been walking over and now was leaning over her shoulder, eyes widening at the amount of things she had written down._

_Layla was wishing that this would end soon and that he would just go back down-_

_"Wait, you're that blond in my math class!" the red haired boy exclaimed while slapping his fist down onto his open palm._

_She winced slightly at that, thinking it was a painful gesture. Yet the onyx eyed person squatting next to her didn't twitch at all._

_"Oh right! Yo, I'm Igneel Dragneel." and with another wide smile he extended an open hand to her._

_The female took it hesitantly and gave a small shake. _

_"You're..." he looked at her expectantly._

_"Layla Heartfilia." she said quietly but loud enough for him to hear._

_"Nice to meet ya!" Igneel said. But before she could even open her mouth up again, his attention switched back to her notes and the scattered notebooks._

_"You're seriously smart." he stated while flipping through the filled pages, not noticing that what he was doing definitely wasn't considered normal at all._

_"Hey..." the boy turned back to the shrinking girl. _

_The golden haired female reluctantly took her mind off of her fiddling fingers._

_"we have a test tomorrow?" his finger was currently resting on a side note she made that said 'Test Friday'._

_She nodded while wondering where this conversation could possibly be going._

_His hands suddenly went up to grab his hair and he shut his eyes tightly. It was almost like he was trying to hide away from something._

_"That freaking teacher is going to kill me again." the whimpering male rocked back and forth._

_Layla was definitely having the weirdest day of her life right there. Not only did she meet a strange but friendly CLASSMATE(of all things) in her favorite place to work, the biggest problem now was to try to calm the guy down and then get out of there as fast as possible._

_"Err, you didn't study did you?" the cautious blond said._

_"Noo." he groaned out._

_Layla knew that she could have gotten out just then. But what about the consequences? She was a victim of guilt constantly throughout the day because she never talked to anyone and didn't bother helping them just to escape having a conversation._

_And she was good at math..._

_OK, she thought to herself, am I really going to risk my only free day to help a guy I barely know? (Also, he looks like he's having a breakdown over there...)._

_After a short debate, she stood up and walked over to the man._

_"I better get big points for this later. And why am I even doing this?" she muttered softly._

_Layla's first thing in her list of things to always do was not helping random people. But then again, her head would give her a mental breakdown too if she didn't help Igneel._

_"If you want... I can help you study." she said in a wavering voice while seriously regretting that decision at the same time._

_"Really?" his head went up._

_The girl bit her lip and nodded. _

_"YES! Come on, we gotta go!" he jumped up and grabbed her wrist while speeding down the stairs._

_"H-hey..." the flustered girl tried prying his hand off of hers._

_'Well, he seemed to switch moods pretty quickly' she sighed._

_'But alright.' the blond looked down to the intertwined hands. An unfamiliar warmth surrounded those usually pale fingers._

_'Just this once.'_

_And her legs started moving in tune with his, both running to an unknown destination._

_The two didn't know that later on, they would be having hundreds of study sessions just like the one that day._

_Usually, Igneel would drag her to random places._

_And along the way, Layla was the one who remembered their stuff._

_At least, usually. _

_..._

_"WAIT! I left my bag there!"_

* * *

"DAD! I need you down here NOW!"

Igneel rolled over in bed, still in his dreamland.

"Shit, you left your bag?" he muttered.

"OLD MAN!" footsteps were coming.

"But can't you get the book later Layla?" he whined softly.

"GET UP YOU LAZY GEEZER." The door slammed open and almost left a hole in the wall if not for the door stopper.

A pink haired boy stepped in, bearing a guarded posture. It was as if he expected a bomb to go off at any second.

The covers on the large bed shifted and suddenly pushed off, a deadly aura coming out.

"DON'T BREAK THE DOOR NATSU!" Igneel finally woke up from his deep slumber and threw a pillow towards the direction of the open door-frame.

"You've got a visitor." Nastu easily dodged the flying object and leaned casually against the wall.

"Huh?" the father stared at his son.

* * *

**Finally finished the next chapter! I hope it was good! I had people read it for me like, ten times haha.**

**But LOVE ALL OF YOU! Still staying awesome right?**

**-SkyFairies**


	6. Chapter 6- Thorns of fate

**IT'S SUNDAY! I KEPT MY PROMISE! YOU GUYS REVIEWED AND MADE ME CRY(which I will pay you back for hehe) AND I FINISHED A BEAUTIFUL MANGA. IT'S ALL GOOD.**

**It's been a long time.**

**Dedicated to G Chen. I don't know how I don't know your Birthday. I should be slamming my head against the wall right now.**

**...OH WELL!**

**HAPPY BELATED B-DAY!**

**And to all you readers out there, Happy belated or early birthday to you too ;)**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

**_CHAPTER 6- ALL MESSED UP:_  
**

* * *

Lucy had just been invited into an apartment by a stranger that looked almost TOO MUCH like Igneel. Was she scared? No.

Should she have been?

Well, maybe.

As she was contemplating whether or not to run upstairs or out of the banged up front door(how did that even happen?), her mind unwillingly brought up the memories that she had received in her youth at this exact building. Somehow, even after many years, she still remembered this place.

Yet with half of her brain smiling fondly at the father she wished she had gotten, the other part was screaming at her to leave Igneel and just dial 911. Somewhere. ANYWHERE.

And why did she come here? Was it because this apartment had been the only home to her since she was born, or was it because the only other person who had ever smiled at her was here?

Lucy didn't know. Her legs just ran towards this direction.

The time where her thoughts were truly separated from her body.

Shock.

Her mind went back to the boy.

The blond had been told to take a seat at the wooden table in this room. But as soon as the male went upstairs, she jumped up(her legs were now 10 times worse) and started pacing back and forth.

Was it just her, or was this taking too long? It felt like ages since she stepped into this building for the first time in all these years.

Now that the girl thought about it, she should have went to the police first.

But that teenage boy had looked so much like Igneel. Her mind and heart had felt at ease just by him standing in front of her. Even though that was the first time she had ever seen him.

The blond shook her head and banged her forehead against her palm. Now was definitely not the time to be thinking about that.

She had to do SOMETHING now. Not just stand there.

Lucy rushed over to the door and had just placed her hand on the handle when something came tumbling down the stairs.

And this time, it was a red haired man.

* * *

...

Igneel had been shocked when Natsu had said that one sentence.

A girl? Why was Layla back?

"Son, if you're gonna say that Layla was here then don't call her just 'a blond girl'." the sleepy man yawned and started rolling to the edge of the bed.

He could take his time if it was his old friend. Besides, his sleep had been lacking for some time now.

"But it isn't Layla. There's a blond girl downstairs that looks exactly like her though. Seems like she's here to see you." Natsu said while coming over to the bed to sit down.

And that made the red haired man stop rolling right there. A girl who looked exactly like Layla?

Igneel suddenly realized he had been face-down and couldn't breathe. That's right.

He rolled again and sucked in a huge breath of air.

Maybe he heard wrong.

"Natsu, say that again." he muttered.

"Oi, don't go making me repeat things twice. There's a blond downstairs alright? Can you just go see her?"

But halfway through the sentence, the old guy had already fully awoken and jumped off the bed. He ran out, almost toppling over the now startled boy.

"HEY! DON'T DO PUSHING ME DOWN TO THE GROUND POPS!" The younger male also followed out behind.

Just to see his father skid to the end of the hallway and stop in his tracks. As still as a statue. Just staring at something.

"Hey, what's up with you?" the teen followed down, now a lot calmer than before.

The girl stumbled to the father. She stopped two feet away from him and stayed there, tentatively looking at Igneel.

"Lucy?" The man was still looking at the female.

"...help. We need to go." Her voice had been too soft at the beginning so the only words they heard had started from 'help'.

"Hey, what's the rush? What's wrong?" Her mouth opened.

"Mom..." a shaky voice whispered.

"And I've been waiting for you. What happened?"

Lucy cursed herself for running away and putting herself in this awkward situation. But it couldn't be changed now. She needed to go back quickly and she needed to go back with help.

"I..." the same stutter appeared.

"To think that Layla had just asked me to talk to you-"

_Now._

"_Please_! I need you to come with me. And call the ambulance." Lucy had mustered all her strength and courage into those sentences. The girl looked as if she would collapse at any moment.

The two males stared at her. The girl was still panting from running the long distance to this building.

"Gunshot...mom...ran..._help._" she pleaded while taking deep breathes.

She was shaking. Her hands covered her ears and those eyelids were shut, as if trying to block out a harsh sound. Two minds tried to comprehend.

"Gun...shot?" Ants questioned in a small voice. Igneel was looking at the wall. There was a deadly silence. The pink haired boy tried to speak up.

"Then-"

And at that sound, it was as if another chord had struck between them. His father had run out the door with the blonde close behind. The other teen followed only seconds later.

The man went because he only had Layla with a gun-shot wound stuck in his mind. He had told her to stay safe, hadn't he? Right before the elevator closed, he had said those words.

He didn't have the whole picture in his head yet. Just the general idea of his trusted companion.

Possibly(and most likely) bleeding to her death.

**_x-x-x-x-x-x-x_**

**_And somewhere in that same city, the woman was bleeding._**

**_Collapsed to the carpet._**

**_Pale skin, reflecting the darkness surrounding her. _****_A hole in her body._**

**_Three people running towards her._**

**_A clock was ticking._**

**_The hourglass with sand,_**

**_would it keep up?_**

**_x-x-x-x-x_**

**_The twisting thorns of fate were alive._**

**_Alive, and moving._**

* * *

**NOTES-**

**Cia.P: I'm glad you liked this! I personally think it still seems beginner but as long as you guys keep giving reviews then I'll just keep improving ;). Also, this story from the beginning was mine. The first version was called 'Moving in' but I've deleted that and re-wrote it. Keep reading for me ok?**

**o-o**

**I did my best! It was really fun, being able to write again. ;)**

**And now I shall study for two quizzes tomorrow.**

**THANKSGIVING. I AM BEGGING YOU. I NEED THAT 5 DAY WEEKEND NOW.**

**-SkyFairies**


	7. Chapter 7- Run away

As** I promised, I HAVE NOW FINALLY UPDATED. ALL HAIL ME. (I did it WITHOUT the blowhorn too ;)**

**Don't wanna waste time cause IT'S THANKSGIVING HERE PEOPLE! I might go to a party tonight too.**

**But anyways, keep on shining and I'll keep on eating. :p**

* * *

_**CHAPTER 8 - ALL MESSED UP**_

* * *

Natsu had followed the two. He didn't know why either. They ran out the door and he went with them. It was an impulse, really.

And now his legs were burning from running frantically towards an unknown destination that only the blond and his dad knew about. Was he regretting this now? Well, yeah.

But for some weird reason, his feet wouldn't stop taking the long strides that caused this fire in his body. His eyes didn't move anywhere else except from two backs, and the scenery was constantly moving by.

If the people ahead of him would just stop, then Natsu would've too. Actually, that was his biggest wish right now. And he was willing to give up a buffet for it.

An all-you-can-eat buffet that HADN'T kicked him out yet.

That was what he kept thinking about. Over and over until it became a chant. His eyes were pleading for them to stop.

No one did.

And so the three kept moving along.

o~O~O~o

Lucy and Igneel were desperate. They couldn't feel any pain right now, because the foreboding sense of Layla being dead was looming over them, taking over their minds, and not allowing anything else in. That was their only purpose right now. Nothing else.

They were unknowingly risking their lives too, taking extreme chances against the city traffic and the people who were bustling around.

Even if a car had crashed into them, all they would feel was the urge to be at that tiny apartment only a couple blocks away.

And the even bigger urge to keep moving.

Of course, there had been numerous honks and shouts of displeasure. Fists in their direction and annoyed faces were seen everywhere.

But if you had been watching them from the beginning till now, you would also see the growing hope shining in their eyes.

Because when what you wish for the most is one block away, all your worries seem to go away.

Even if it's for just a second.

* * *

Layla was nothing.

No, not TECHNICALLY nothing, but still. She definitely felt like nothing.

The pain had grown so much that all she felt now was numbness. The pain had gone away, but the thought still had not.

Her eyes were blank. No life could be found.

There was no strength left in her body, but she felt that she was grasping to something tightly. What was it?

What was keeping her eyes open still?

The woman wanted to go to sleep. She was so tired. Her body had been rendered useless now.

Well, at least her skin could still feel one thing. It was the blood coming from the wound in her shoulder. She could feel it pouring out. The sticky liquid was so red. Burning in its own way.

Different from Igneel's hair though. The two were both red. Yet looking at each of them, you would find them very different in comparison.

The hole had been so painful in the beginning. Shock had come first though.

The blond smiled a bit, even though it was hard to move.

_You missed my heart Jude._

She hadn't been killed.

Layla almost wished she had.

The female trembled slightly. The room was growing colder.

Light wasn't let in.

No hope left. She had abandoned the idea.

Now she let go of everything and fell to darkness.

* * *

Lucy had been scared for her whole life.

Even when she had not known any pain yet, there was still a sense that was drifting closer to her each day.

But nothing scared her more than the scene before her eyes.

Her mom was laying on the ground. The only source of light came in through the doorway, at it seemed to fall just on her body.

The girl could clearly see the blood. The substance was still pouring out of her shoulder too.

The carpet was stained with a dark red.

She could clearly smell and recognize the disgusting scent all over the room.

After all, how many times had she dealt with it herself?

But still. Her body was frozen.

They say that each person has to find their own way in life.

Then what about her mothers? Hers?

The mom she had didn't deserve this at all.

Lucy had turned to her when no one else would accept her.

She had smiled to the child. She hadn't abandoned her.

That woman was her ray of light. That person showed her that she was important too.

But now?

Lucy wanted to kill herself. If her mom could have her happy ending, then this daughter would gladly do anything for that.

She collapsed to the floor.

No. Layla was clearly dying right now.

...

And nothing would change that fact.

* * *

The three were all waiting.

Waiting for any news about Layla Heartfilia.

Igneel was shocked when he saw what state his best friend was in.

His eyes had immediately shot over to Lucy.

She hadn't been able to do anything. Just frozen.

So the father and son took action.

Well, mostly son.

Natsu was the one to call the hospital and have them send an ambulance while he checked the fading woman's pulse frantically, also trying to stop the flow of blood too.

The red haired man could easily remember that blood over his hands. He himself had grown darker then.

Even the nurses were in a nervous wreck, shouting things and having doctors rush over.

These all didn't help the situation at all.

The blond girl had managed to follow them well enough, even if she did seem like a walking corpse.

The two males were waiting inside the hospital.

Lucy was waiting outside.

Standing right in front of the building, drenched in the cold rain.

People had glanced over at her many times. But the girl noticed nothing.

She was simply staring down with a blank face. Drops of water splashed onto her skin and rolled down her hair.

Her clothes were all wet now, unable to absorb any more liquid.

You wouldn't be able to tell what she was thinking.

But truthfully?

She didn't know what she was thinking either.

* * *

Natsu had been watching the blond for a while now.

After seeing Layla getting pulled away on a stretcher, she had walked out to the rain and just stood there.

He wanted to go out there and pull her in.

But he held back.

Even if he did go out there, what would happen?

So the boy didn't do anything.

He sat on one of the benched near the glass doors and watched her.

And he was still watching her.

Up to the point where she took out a silver gun and started running again.

* * *

**Hehe, it's been a while! I don't think it's too bad after a month eh? Hope you liked it!**

**Although I'm pretty sure I lack something...**

**:p Oh well ;).**

**Keep being the awesome people you naturally are k? And feel free to PM me anytime too;).**

**-SkyFairies**


	8. Chapter 8- Thoughts

**Preview was OK right? Good. **

**Cause we all know I suck at keeping my life organized. :p**

**Anyways, you came here to read so I'll shut up now.**

**;)**

* * *

**_ALL MESSED UP_**

**_CHAPTER 8_**

**_x-x-x-x-x_**

A man sat on a wooden chair. He was smoking. Inside on the apartment complex. His eyes were trained on a photo. One that only he knew of. The surroundings were silent. All the rooms were empty and dark. A gloomy atmosphere.

He didn't care much.

The man's gaze was trained on only the people inside the picture. Four, to be exact. The edges around the image were ripped a bit and worn out. There was even a piece of tape on the back, holding together a rip.

Really, the person in that room wasn't sure what to think while looking at that. His jaw was clenched and tight. Almost as if he was holding back on something. Eyes portrayed bitterness and frustration. It was as if he really wanted to look away.

But still didn't.

He could stare at that photo forever, and never stop. Why? Because he could never hold back from remembering. And it still puzzled the male. The reason as to why he always looked back into the past.

Was it because he couldn't help it?

...

Perhaps it was because he kept pushing back. Never moving forward.

* * *

She was running as fast as she could. Her mind was swirling. Eyes wide and frightened. Her gaze landed on all sorts of tiny details. Details that she pointed out to herself just to occupy her mind with other thoughts.

The hospital was getting further and further away. Then why was she still not relieved? Why did her nightmare still chase her?

The reason to everything in her life-

Why didn't she know it?

Things could be altered if you only knew more. Love didn't exist in the world she was exposed to. Everything was cruel. People weren't strong. These were things she knew.

Why did people and their lives have to differ so much? _Why was everything so complicated_?

...

Why did things exist if they could be taken away in just a second?

...

Questions. So many unanswered. It was overwhelming. She couldn't forget or ignore them. They just came back into her mind later. So suddenly that her entire mood would change completely.

Her lungs burned like fire. A dark and painful flame, taking over everything. She forced herself to keep moving.

The reason?

Because if she stopped, everything would crash down. And to avoid that, pain was nothing. The rain kept on falling. People who were outside all had umbrellas or jacket hoods up.

But Lucy quite liked the water falling.

Comforting. Cool and sudden. A drop fell into her eye. She raised an arm upwards.

_Silver._

A gun. She actually took it. For what reason again? Even when it seemed to be soaked in tears and blood to her?

No.

...

She remembered.

...

* * *

Natsu wasn't too sure of what he was doing. Running after a blond chick holding a pistol?

Pfffft. He did that all the time...or so he joked.

Truthfully? This girl wasn't someone he had ever known until two hours ago. And yet he was running after her. Why again? Maybe it was because whenever he looked at a gun, death came to his mind.

Well, most people thought that anyway.

He didn't want her to die. Natsu didn't know why. He just did. His onyx eyes were locked on her golden hair. She ran as if something was chasing her. They were desperate steps. Steps that seemed to never end.

Wait... what? Why was he thinking of that?

Well, now that he WAS running after her, might as well finish it up. Just get her to stop and take away the gun. Simple. That is, if a police didn't see them first.

Might as well not think about that.

He didn't get why she was running either. Judging from her looks, it seemed as if she was hollow. Dead eyes and extremely pale skin. Her mom was in the running away a normal thing to do?

His breathing increased. The blond's feet were moving so quickly that he couldn't see them anymore.

And then she turned a corner.

* * *

**Sorry for not making it a bit longer in Natsu's version.**

**Short on time here... and gotta eat those brownies.**

**School tomorrow! Yay?**

**Anyways, might be snow on Wednesday for me so FINGERS CROSSED GUYS!**

**-SkyFairies**


	9. Chapter 9- Don't let go

**Thanks for waiting guys! LOVE YOU ALL.**

**WHICH GOES WITH VALENTINES DAY.**

**Anyways, HOPE YOU LIKE THIS CHAPTER!**

**LOOOOVEEEE YOU ALL.**

**(And yes. I did repeat that. :)**

* * *

**_Nothing is perfect._**

**_It's a good thing._**

**_Because the reason that we can always keep trying lies in that sentence._**

**_If nothing's perfect,_**

**_there's no limit to how far you can improve._**

**_..._**

**_And that's what makes the effort so special._**

* * *

His hand was so close. Reaching out to stop her. She needed to stop. He couldn't keep up much longer. It was as if she could never run out of energy.

Well, Natsu was already collapsing from the exhaustion. The rain was helping somewhat. At least it was refreshing.

Just one more push.

He wanted to catch her. No, he NEEDED to. There were so many reasons. But he couldn't pinpoint any of them.

More strength. The boy had to do better. But he was already gasping for breath. To him, it felt like he was chasing after an angel. Golden hair flowed freely in front of his face. She would keep staying ahead of him. Somewhere he couldn't reach.

The male knew he needed a break. He couldn't push himself any longer. The angel would escape his grasp. His leg pushed upwards for one last stride.

His hand grabbed on to something. Cold, and yet warm. The pink-haired boy didn't run any longer. Natsu held on to his catch and they both tumbled down. The impact felt like nothing.

It was quiet. But he was overwhelmed by the loud thumps from his heart and the rushing blood flowing in his entire body. Those were the only sounds he could hear, think about, and feel.

So tired. It hurt even more when he stopped. Maybe that was the reason why she kept on moving? Because the pain was worse? It made sense.

Both stayed still on the ground. He could hear her soft breaths. Then all in one second, the mayhem stopped. Everything was calm again. They lay side by side. His grip was still tight. The girl had given up.

Because she had been caught. And she knew he wouldn't let go.

* * *

Lucy felt like a broken doll. She was alive, but nothing worked. Her eyes just stared out. The girl had even run away from her mother. Pathetic. Not able to protect anything at all.

Nothing mattered. Just submit. Her eyes closed shut.

...

A pitch black room. Or at least it felt like that. Everything was confining and crashing down on her battered body. It was too much.

The female yelled and screamed. Nothing happened She was alone. She always was. It was dark. A large and dim pit was just a couple feet away. The first thought that came to mind was to jump in.

Why not? There was nothing else to do anyways. She couldn't escape. There wasn't a door that read **Exit**.

And the golden haired girl didn't even want to run away. But it was the only thing she could think of. Her body started to move again.

Odd. It felt even more horrifying now than ever.

Suddenly, she was jerked backwards. Away from all her fears. Away from the pitiful and crumbling form that she knew she was. Her legs stopped running. The things that had been haunting her were still there... just... kept away. She felt protected.

Someone was holding onto her. A tight grip, like they would keep holding on. Like they needed her.

That was the feeling she had been waiting for her entire life. Just so she could feel that everything could continue.

She laughed bitterly. Yeah right. The girl knew by now that nothing ever went her way. Determination only went so far.

Her childhood memories?

A girl who was left on the street. Because papa had been in a bad mood. And she had asked for something to eat. Mama was away. No one to save her.

So she tried to save herself. And was thrown out of the room.

_Don't do whatever you want brat. No one ever accepts someone like you._

_Take a knife and GO DIE._

She had tried that before. Held the blade to her wrists first, just to feel the sensation.

Mom found her bleeding on the floor.

She just wanted a father. One who would take her to fly a kite or smile at her. Like the ones she saw every day. Outside the window. But no. The pathetic girl lay there. Starving. Scared to open the door to her own home. Only able to crouch there and wait.

Because she knew the world was cruel. And somebody who couldn't do anything for herself would never have all the good thing in life.

Birthdays? Who cared? She was thrown out on hers. Her body shivered. It was cold. But now someone was holding tightly to her.

It felt warm. Her eyes opened once more. One tear dropped out. And Lucy allowed herself to forget everything. Just for a minute.

To be enveloped with something that wasn't painful. For once.

...

Because the true chaos would begin just after.

* * *

**Sooooo. I think it wasn't the best. But whatever! I can finally move on to some better stuff!**

**Hope you liked it! Took a while. I know it's late but... ARGHHHH JUST PLEASE GIVE ME A SMILEY FACE IN A REVIEW. NEED IT.**

**Thanks dudes. You're all so awesome. I MEAN IT.**

**-Skyfairies**


	10. Chapter 10- Too involved

**HEY GUYS! It's been way too long but hey, I updated. And still eating, which is always a good thing. (._.)**

**Gonna start updating more frequently now on since it's summer and I promised you that there would be more chapters coming out! **

**Also, I finally made an account on Quotev since one of my friends had been nagging me about it (-_-) My username is still SkyFairies and I'll be writing all kinds of stuff on there, not just fanfiction so please check me out!**

**Anyways... ENJOY! And remember that you're all awesome so smile k?**

**BTW, I always put the preview in there too so if you don't want to reread it, just skip.**

* * *

Natsu was incredibly aware that he was hugging a girl who looked like she had been to hell and back. Also, they were soaking wet.

She wasn't moving at all, which made him a bit worried. But then again, he had been way too worried in the beginning. Her body was ice cold. It reminded him of Gray. The idiot always reminded him of an ice block on wheels. Which was already stupid enough, if you thought about it.

The boy refocused himself on the important task at hand.

Which was to do something about the girl before they both got hypothermia. A cold was already expected by this point.

He steeled himself to talk after 3 seconds had passed. 1-2-..3... His counting had started to slow down. He became incredibly nervous for some reason. He kept repeating this process until he finally decided to make himself say something or punch himself in the face.

Both seemed equally appealing.

Either way, he started counting again. 1-2-3-4- Suddenly, she went limp in his arms.

Darn. He had missed his chance.

Wait... did she DIE?!

The boy took deep and heaving breaths before checking the girl's pulse. It was still beating. Relief washed over him. At least she was still alive.

Just before he started to help the blond up, his phone started ringing in his pocket. But he ignored the sound and eased the cold girl onto his back carefully before taking off towards the hospital. The rain started to calm down and now it was only drizzling.

Natsu started sneezing a bit while crossing the road. His legs were worn out from the running and it would probably attract too much attention if he were to sprint with an unconscious girl on his back. Well, at least more attention than just walking while giving a sleeping girl a piggyback ride. Two totally different things. Just ignore the people staring.

His phone had lit up twice before finally staying silent. He knew that it was Lisanna calling but he could talk to her anytime. Layla's situation was more important. So was this girl's, who he didn't even know until that morning.

The boy was painfully conscious of the icy gun hidden in his coat. Why was there a gun? What if they got found out? Did the blond want to kill herself? How had she even found the weapon in the first place?

There was too much inside of his mind. And yet the maker of it all was peacefully sleeping on his back. Perhaps not peacefully, but she was unaware of everything he wanted to ask her.

And when he laid her down on a bed the nurse had directed them to, he didn't leave. He had gotten too involved now.

There was no turning back.

Nothing distracted him from this mysterious incident. Not even the many text messages that had been attacking his phone since the two phone calls 30 minutes ago.

Natsu soon fell asleep too, while sitting in the white room with that girl.

Thinking about how his dad, Layla, and now him, were now tangled up in this.

It was getting all messed up. And he was too.

* * *

Lucy felt the warmth seeping into her body. She couldn't talk, move, or even shake her head. The girl was so tired. She could only rely on the boy next to her to support them both. Also, it was pouring rain.

_Sorry. _

She thought this while leaning onto the male. The blond had caused more trouble.

The warmth was starting to go away too. It seemed like a weak fire. Burning, but also about to disappear. She didn't want the fire to go out. But it still faded, second by second.

She felt faint. Her grasp on staying awake crumbled.

Lucy drifted off.

...

_Please, don't leave._

_x-x-x-x_

She woke up with an urge to eat.

Yes, there was a tornado of worries swirling around in her head and it had never stopped. Yes, she knew her mom was on the verge of death. Yes, she was aware that her father had run away from the two of them. So be it. He was nothing but a symbol of hatred and pain to her anyways.

But the girl couldn't ignore her empty stomach no matter how hard she tried.

She looked around the room warily, hoping there was something to eat and hoping that Igneel was somewhere near her. He was the only one left who she trusted fully.

Her eyes were caught on pink hair. It was the boy who she saw earlier. And the same one who helped her after she ran off.

He was sleeping on a chair. And he was drooling.

Lucy ignored that fact and looked around some more. Eventually, she realized that she was back in the hospital. Her sights trailed again to the stranger in her room.

He must've carried her back.

She made a mental note to say thanks later and carefully got out of the bed. Her clothes had been changed while she slept(she hoped that a nurse had done it) and there was a pair of slippers beside the bed. She put them on and quietly moved towards the door.

Just then, the door opened and a man stepped in.

Igneel looked towards the bed she was in frantically before realizing that the 'missing' girl was standing next to him. He scanned her face for a few moments and then smiled softly.

"Do you need anything?" he asked.

She nodded slowly.

"Is there any food?" she said in a quiet voice. He thought for a moment before opening his mouth again.

"I can bring you to the cafeteria." he replied while shifting towards the door.

Lucy nodded before stopping abruptly. She pointed at the sleeping boy and looked at the man. He glanced at his son before sighing loudly.

"Yeah, I guess I can't leave him here alone." Igneel grabbed a pillow from the nearest bed and threw it towards Natsu's face. It hit the target quite nicely and the teenager quickly stood up, looking around angrily.

He saw his father standing there and threw the object back with more force. The target caught the cushion and placed it on the bed.

"We're going to the cafeteria so hurry up." he stated before nudging the girl out the door. The pink-haired male rolled his eyes and grumbled softly before following them.

But secretly, he wished he could've asked her his questions when they were alone.

* * *

They had gotten their dinner when the first person finally spoke up.

"Layla's condition is better now. They stopped the blood from flowing out and her life should be in no danger." Igneel said while staring at his sandwich.

Natsu looked up from his meal and swallowed.

"But she won't be released soon, right?" he asked.

Igneel shot him a warning look before replying carefully.

"The doctor hasn't given any information on that. They'll have to keep her during the night and see how she's doing in the morning before anything else."

Lucy picked at the remains of her salad.

More silence ensued.

Natsu wanted to ask his father and the girl what was going on but couldn't bring up the topic. When he finally gathered enough courage...

_RING. RING. RI-_

"Hello?" he asked, a little annoyed.

"Natsu! Why haven't you been answering my calls? You were supposed to meet up with us today." a girl spoke.

"Sorry, stuff came up." he said while glancing at his father.

"What stuff?"

"I can't explain now," _when even I don't know what's happening _"but I'll meet up with you guys later. Tell everyone that I'm fine" he cut off the call and shoved his phone back into his pocket.

"Lisanna?" the red-haired man said.

"It's nothing." Natsu replied before looking at Lucy again.

She suddenly raised her head which startled both of them and looked Igneel in the eyes.

"I want to see my mom."

* * *

**I hope that was good! I'm currently in California and there's nothing to do because I'm stuck inside the hotel room. Well, it's not that bad. At least I have internet.**

**I think this was longer than usual and I'm starting to use more paragraphs in chapters because some of you have commented on that and I agree.**

**I'll be updating the rest soon and I'm still working on the others!**

**Happy Summer! I hope you guys have a great break from school.**

**Stay awesome ;)**

**-SkyFairies**


	11. Chapter 11- Weapon

**WASSUP? I'm back ;)**

**I know that I'm horrible to not update frequently and not make them very long either but I've recently started to make more paragraphs and write more so yeah. Progress!**

**Hope that your break is going well! Still have a month to go! **

**You guys are awesome for being... awesome. ****Enjoy and eat good food! ****(Preview is in here so skip if you want)**

* * *

Lucy had just walked into her mother's room. It was cold and incredibly white. Blinding, almost. Or maybe that was just her brain malfunctioning. Either way, there was nothing warm about the hospital. There never was.

The blonde didn't look good at all. She had dark circles under her eyes and scratches everywhere. Her clothes weren't in the best condition and her eyes looked tired and weary. Layla was on a small bed. Her eyes were closed and there was a bandage wrapped around her upper body. There was no sign of blood though. The woman was pale and thin. Even though she was only asleep, the girl wanted her to wake up and prove that she was still alive. She wanted her mother to say one sentence. Anything. As long as it meant she was still here. Not just a body.

Lucy now sat down on a stool near the bed. She still thought about the gunshot and how she had been so stupid. So foolish.

Why didn't she just go into the room herself? It wasn't as if she couldn't. Jude could have been caught. And even if she hadn't went into the room, she could still call the police herself. By using Layla's phone.

She just ran to the place she considered the best. The place where she was sure to get help. When she should've just done something that would've been faster.

Jude couldn't just run away from all of this. He was the one who ruined their lives. He was the one who almost killed his wife. He was the one who should've went to jail.

She didn't notice the boy who had been looking at her through a crack in the door. All she knew was that Jude had to be found.

What would she do when he was caught? Kill him? The blonde didn't want to think about death anymore. There was too much blood already. She had no concrete plan. Just her emotions and a weak body. But, even the smallest of things have a big effect.

Jude needed to be trapped. And when he was, she would make sure he would never hurt anyone again.

He would never hurt _her_ again.

x-x-x-x-x-x

Layla was blindfolded. Well, at least that's what she felt like. She struggled but managed to nudge a bit of the mask on her face off.

There was a barrier between her and something else. Something that didn't feel right. A large problem that she couldn't pinpoint. Her mind was groggy and her thoughts were slow. She felt calm, but also disturbed.

Her mind had brought her into a safety zone. One where she was escaping all the bad things and starting to heal.

Strange. If it felt like her heart had been shattered, then why was she so calm? If everything hurt, then why was she serene? But the woman couldn't do much. She was frail and felt small. She felt like moving around, but her will was soft and pliable. It succumbed to her desire to rest.

It was really too tiring to think now. Layla was pulled abruptly back under the blindfold and shut out. Just before she lost to the pull of sleep, she felt warmth somewhere. It slightly soothed her aching soul. Comforting and relieving.

Before she could think another sentence, the darkness enveloped her. She drifted off once again.

* * *

Natsu was now in an empty room, looking at the silver object. A gun, to be precise.

Since the blonde had been holding it, he assumed that this was the object that shot Layla. It looked menacing. There wasn't any blood but whenever he looked at it, it seemed to be covered in that red substance.

Just then, his father walked in. Before he put the weapon back in his jacket.

"What's that?" Igneel asked, taking long strides towards him. The boy was frozen and easily let the other take the gun from him.

The man looked at the metal item and gazed at it with blank eyes. He then checked to make sure there were no more bullets. There were none. But that scared the adult even more. When had Jude used the rest?

He glanced at his son and then looked back at his hands. He shook the article lightly, as if it would go off if he made any big movements.

"Where did you get this?" he whispered. His voice wasn't harsh or cold. Just... emotionless. And strangely scary. Natsu saw a side of his dad that he had never seen before. Natsu felt like he was standing in an ice box. Chilly and biting at his skin.

"...from Lucy." he answered.

Before anything else could happen, there was a knock on the door.

Igneel jerked his body in a surprised manner and then shoved the empty gun into his jacket. Maybe not such a good idea, but there was no time to think rationally. Both of them had felt a flash of fear and cold run through them at the sudden noise.

Natsu didn't move until his father gave him a glance and he ran to open the door with his entire body feeling like heavy weights. Cold sweat was starting to form on his tan skin and blood rushed through his ears.

When the door finally opened up to reveal a person standing there, Natsu's eyes didn't adjust until three seconds later because of his nerves. But when he finally could see, what he saw was surprising.

"Lucy?"

The girl was standing in front of him while looking... different. Changed? It wasn't something to be described. You had to see it for yourself in order to understand.

She looked more stable for one thing. Before, it looked as if her soul was going to crumble any moment. Now, the blonde just looked... strong. Her entire being was firm and determined.

He wasn't sure what could make a person change so much in just five minutes.

It's funny how quick thoughts can form in your head. Describing them takes so much longer. While he had been thinking, Igneel came up from behind and greeted Lucy too. He still hid the gun.

They all knew it existed, but there was something about the situation where the weapon couldn't just be looked at lightly.

Layla was a mom, a friend, a human.

She had been there with them in the morning. They thought she still was there with them later too. It was like a fact. Just beneath the surface and not acknowledged often, but still there.

And now it felt like she was gone. No real goodbye. Just a slap in the face and emptiness.

"Did you see her?" the red haired male asked.

Of course she saw her. Lucy could still look at her and talk to her. But there wouldn't be an answer until the woman woke up. And they didn't know if she ever would.

It was up to Layla to come back to them. She probably didn't realize it in her state, but these people were all hoping desperately that she would greet them again. And if she didn't, then they would feel tremendous grief pile up.

It was Layla's fault. It was Lucy's fault. It was Jude's fault. In reality, everyone was at fault. Whether they liked it or not.

The group needed to accept and let go. Move on. So they could live once again.

People always think the best thing is to create more relief and happiness. Whether it affects others with them or not.

Selfishness.

Yet then again, everyone is selfish in some way. So we'll let that go too.

And after, when they left the hospital with it's white and cold rooms, the three walked back in the rain. Not really caring about anything. The gun sat in the pocket, still waiting. It weighed down on the cloth and felt like a mountain on Igneel's shoulders.

Natsu was still confused and shivering. He felt like a third wheel. One who wanted to be in the circle but was always reminded that he wasn't really deep into it like the others.

Lucy knew what she had to do. It was just that she didn't know exactly where to start. Her legs wanted to collapse and stand strong at the same time. She wasn't crying though. It would happen soon enough. Sometime later, when she stopped moving forward and let the black thoughts take over, the tears would push out without restraint.

There were a lot of things going wrong.

And that statement could bring a new wave of problems crashing their way.

* * *

They were sitting at the table in new clothes. Igneel had managed to get Lucy into wearing some of Grandine's older outfits while the two boys changed into something drier.

The girl didn't really have anywhere to go. And the two males didn't even consider letting her go back to that apartment.

Everything about this case was wrong. Heck, they hadn't even contacted the police yet! Which probably was an incredibly stupid move. But the three were all out of energy and didn't want to deal with anything else. They were like a damaged wall. One more punch and everything would fall down in a heap of rubble.

It was already about four in the afternoon. Igneel thought it should have been night-time already. The day had seemed so long, each second dragging out until a minute felt like eternity. They were cold, hungry, depressed, and drained of energy.

HE was the adult here. One lazy dad with two teens that were messed up in their own way. He needed to take care of them first. And then get to fixing his own problems.

"Lucy," he spoke a bit hesitantly. The air had already been tense and even speaking one word was hard in that atmosphere. The said girl had lifted her head to look at him. Well, not exactly look at him. She was looking at his nose. The blonde wasn't completely comfortable wit him or Natsu. It made sense though. He could only wait.

"-are you fine with staying here?"

It wasn't really a question since she didn't really have any other choice. The male just wanted to soften the statement for her and let her have some control on the matter.

Lucy didn't really want to talk because she had no idea how she would sound. Even so, her mouth opened only to be greeted by silence. So her lips shut again and her head dipped down and back up in a slight nod.

The female didn't really mind staying in the place she had known so well long ago, even if she was a bit uneasy. This was the best decision. Which was saying something because all of her decisions were horrible and ended in misfortune.

_I shouldn't be allowed to feel safe._

Her head dipped lower. The two boys didn't notice.

_Just calm down. Don't make another mess._

While Igneel started talking again, she could only listen while other things went about inside her head.

...

_Don't cry._

* * *

**Well, this is longer than usual. Success!**

**I didn't check deeply for anything so if it's horribly written, I BEG FOR FORGIVENESS!**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it;)**

**You're all awesome! Love ya**

**-SkyFairies**


	12. Chapter 12- Decisions

**Hey! Enjoying the last weeks of summer? I want school to start again though... I don't know myself anymore. 0.0**

**Not in the mood to type a long intro so... enjoy.**

**Love you all**

* * *

_**ALL MESSED UP**_

Natsu had no idea what was going on while he showed Lucy the guest room. It wasn't every day that a strange girl who had a gun(HAD was the key word) was moving into your apartment. He hadn't contacted his friends at all during the day and time seemed to move so quickly, and yet so slowly. The pink haired boy never even thought about eating that 3 day old burger with tabasco sauce all over it. And that alone was pretty impressive.

The situation was so serious and confusing that even his mental note to punch Gray in the face for dropping that ice water on him was gone. Well, it wasn't like he would've remembered that anyways...

But there were so many things unanswered. He didn't even know what to start with.

Lucy didn't seem like she would just start talking either. Maybe the right moment would just show up? Either way, it was a lot for his brain to handle. The male was so lost in his thoughts that he absentmindedly pulled a towel down from the closet even though three were already in his other hand.

"You don't need to give me so many towels. One is enough."

He jerked his head around and looked at the source of the noise. His black eyes focused on the blonde. Then he looked at his many towels.

"Sorry, I'll put these back." He shoved three back in and handed one to the girl.

"Thanks." she whispered and was about to go back before Natsu spoke again.

"Um, if you need anything, just ask me."

He stood awkwardly in the doorframe. It seemed right to say that. Even though he doubted she would ever go to him for something. The female looked at the male for a moment before answering.

"Okay." She turned around and stepped into the washroom. And just before the two doors closed, their eyes met briefly.

And he was shocked to see the fire burning in them.

* * *

The blond male was in his room alone. Escaping his mother and everything else. It wasn't often that the house was silent. He lay on his bed, sprawled on the mattress, while looking at the green wall.

One image kept reappearing in his head. A messy teenage girl who had been in the hospital, sitting next to a bed with an unconscious woman on it. He had caught a glimpse of her from the crack in the open door. For some reason, he had stopped in his tracks and watched the scene. Maybe it was because he knew he would never go visit his mom if she ever got sent to the hospital. Minerva didn't really fit the description of a parent.

When Rogue had been hit by a car, she didn't even flinch. When the doctor had told them that his brother's leg would never work the same way again, she took the news as if someone was telling her the weather. The woman never visited her son either. The only thing she did was pay the hospital fees and sleep around with random men for money.

Well, at least she even bothered to pay for Rogue's therapy.

Ever since the accident five months ago, Sting would walk to Rogue's room every day. Every time he went to see him, Rogue was always happy and playing with Frosch. But even then, the blond could see that the black haired boy's spirit lowered when their mother didn't show up. Again and again.

It wasn't really an exaggeration to say that Sting had no love left for their mom.

So when he saw the blonde girl there talking to her mother, he felt mad, confused, and interested. And that was the only thing he could think about.

He heard the front door open and slam shut. The sound was muffled, but he could still hear it clearly. Sting sluggishly reached over his bed and turned off the light. Might as well get some sleep earlier so he didn't have to be see Minerva in the morning before going to the hospital.

After five minutes of laying there with his eyes shut tightly, the blond male finally drifted off into a sleep with one particular blonde girl in his mind.

Not knowing how linked their two lives were already.

* * *

Natsu had woken up in the morning feeling sluggish and tired. His legs hurt because of the chase yesterday and his head wasn't much better.

In the end, he hadn't gotten much sleep. There had been no noise from Lucy's room so he guessed that she had a better night than him. But then again, if he had been this affected as an outsider, there was no telling what she could be feeling at the moment.

The messy boy pushed himself out of bed and grabbed random clothes to wear.

Today was Monday. He didn't know if he was going to school or not. Honestly, he just wanted to fix the mess that happened yesterday. But there was no clear start to recovery. Especially when he didn't even know the whole story.

Natsu started downstairs with half closed eyes. He didn't think Lucy would be up yet but when he got to the bottom and took a good look around, he noticed two people sitting at the kitchen table.

And food. Cooked food.

Even though he felt like crap, he couldn't help but feel a bit happier when he saw an actual breakfast on the table. Pop tarts would never compare to bacon. He made his way over and greeted the two others while sitting down.

The boy pushed all of his thoughts away for a few minutes and started to eat. If he was going to sit through another boring lecture in the afternoon, might as well cheer up in the morning.

x-x-x-x-x-x

Igneel had been having a conversation with the brown eyed girl before his son came downstairs. But it was more like him talking and her nodding. She didn't talk very much. It definitely seemed like the blonde was a different person compared to the days when Layla and little Lucy would come over frequently and play around. Then again, it had been a couple of years.

Honestly, Igneel didn't know much about the situation except for the fact that Jude must have had something to do with it.

But he didn't know what Layla had done to get shot, what had happened to Lucy, why they had stopped coming to visit, and what Jude was even thinking. It was a huge tangle of questions, scenarios, and fear. Lots of fear.

Because even though they had started to try and figure things out themselves, Jude could come back again anytime and do something worse.

And before that happened, Igneel had to try to patch everything up. But what was more important?

Stopping the cause of the problem first whilst watching two of his most important people keep hurting...

Or helping the ones that already were hurt but at the same time risking to be damaged again?

* * *

**I'm sorry for not updating sooner! There were things that needed tweaking but I wanted to get something out soon so I didn't write anything more.**

**I'm sorry '~'**

**But I hope you guys like this! Next chapter will be set at school and Lissana will finally come out!**

**-SkyFairies**


	13. Chapter 13- Why am I messed up

**Hey guys! It's been a while now. School's started for a lot of people too. Anyways, if you're looking for a little escape, I'm glad to have you!**

**Thanks for sticking with me and I'll write as much as I can in this chapter to make up for it!**

**Nothing exciting to talk about so enjoy!**

* * *

_**ALL MESSED UP**_

Natsu trudged through the school gates, thinking about the boring classes he would have to go through and the tests he didn't study for. Well, actually, that was only half of his worries. The boy thought about Lucy, Layla, and that metal gun every second he was awake. It even became an obsession that he couldn't get rid of.

The pink haired male yawned and walked into his classroom, not bothering to greet anyone. It was too early anyways, and he only ate a sandwich that morning.

Just as he sat down in his chair, a paper airplane hit him in the cheek. His eyes popped wide open.

Gray snickered from his seat next to the angry male. Then, in a sudden movement, a hand had pulled the black haired boy's shirt up and he found himself on the receiving end of a fiery punch.

"Bad move there, ice freak." Natsu smirked while looking smug. Gray glared at him and started to pull his hand back until a familiar voice spoke up. A _very_ familiar voice in fact...

"GRAY-SAMA! JUVIA SEES GRAY-SAMA HURT!" A blue haired girl shouted while running towards the two who had abruptly stopped fighting when they heard her speak.

"Shit." Gray muttered while seeing a body being flung at him. He tried to move out of the way, but it was too late. He was tackled to the floor by a blue "monster".

"Juvia... GET OFF ME!" The poor boy tried to pry her off of his arm, but she snapped back into place every time. No matter what he did, she wouldn't let go. At this point, the male didn't even care that she was a girl. He would do anything to run away from Juvia's obsessive love.

"Juvia. This inappropriate behavior for school. Get up." Erza came over, towering over the pair. She had her student president badge on her uniform and Gray could see a fire start to burn in her eyes. As soon as Erza had come over, the icy student tried even harder to get away.

All the while, Natsu was looking at the scene with amusement in his eyes. But he couldn't laugh like he usually did. The Heartfilia family constantly took over his mind. What could he do? He wasn't even a close friend of theirs, heck, he didn't even know Layla's daughter until yesterday! But every time he closed his eyes, he saw Layla in the hospital, Lucy running through the streets, and yesterday night when the blonde's eyes were filled with determination and strength.

Strength for what though? To avenge her mother for getting shot? To find her dad? Who shot that gun anyways? Why didn't he have the answers to his questions when he could just ask the person who was closest to this mystery?

Natsu felt pain prick behind his eyes. He immediately started massaging his temple in an attempt to relieve his discomfort. Thinking so much and not getting enough sleep was a bad combination.

"Are you ok, Natsu?" Levy asked, looking up from her newest book. Her expression showed worry and concern for him. Even though she wasn't very close to the male, the bookworm often listened to his troubles and gave him advice for things. She also tutored him when he didn't understand the curriculum that they were learning.

"It's fine. I'll probably crash at the nurse's office later." He sighed while leaning back in his chair.

Levy knew that 'crash' actually meant sleep, but she could see dark bags under his eyes and decided to leave the matter alone.

"Alright then. Don't go too long though." She smiled and went back to her story. Just then, a shadow fell over the male, and he looked up hesitantly.

"Don't go where for too long? Natsu, are you ditching?" Erza was holding a limp and barely conscious Gray while towering over her new prey. The pink haired male started to sweat while stammering excuses that he knew the angry girl wouldn't listen to.

The scarlet female held a fist up and brought it down on the boy's head.

"FOLLOW THE RULES, IDIOTS!"

Levy looked at the loud scene while shaking her head. Well, at least he was going to the infirmary either way now. Even if the new plan involved a few bruises.

* * *

"Jeez, Natsu. Why do you always manage to get Erza angry?" the female said while dabbing a cotton ball on his arm. He winced when the solution touched his wound and clenched his other hand.

"Ow! I don't know why she always hits me, it's that icy bastard's fault."

Lissanna chuckled and gently put a band-aid on the cut. The male could only watch and try not to show pain on his face. He hated having to treat his injuries.

"Done. You're all set now." she smiled at him and stood up.

"Thanks Liss." The boy stood up too and stretched his arms. He looked out the window and saw the large tree that was in the courtyard sway in the wind. The boy paused for a minute and stood silently.

The silver haired female looked at her boyfriend and went to stand beside him. She followed his line of sight and watched as the white flowers on the tree gently fell down to the ground.

Natsu suddenly noticed her and stepped away in surprise.

"What is it?" he asked. She turned to look at him.

"Why didn't you answer my calls yesterday? I was really worried about you."

He looked away from her and scratched his head nervously, not sure what to say.

"I...I had to go see my dad's friend."

"That doesn't mean you can't reply to me." She said softly. Her blue eyes watched as he squirmed around, trying to say something else.

"Hey Natsu...you know you can trust me right? Because I love you. I just want to make sure you're alright." Her hand softly touched his arm. His onyx orbs looked at her and he could see her feelings directed towards him. The male gently pulled her hand down and held it loosely.

"Sorry Liss. I didn't mean to make you worry. It's just something I can't tell you yet." He whispered while letting go of her. She nodded after a few seconds and hugged him before looking at the clock.

"I should go. You have a free period next so just get some sleep, kay? I'll wait for you after school." Lissanna grinned at him and ran off, merging with the throng of students coming out of classrooms.

"Yeah."

He trudged over to the white bed and pulled the curtains so he would have some privacy. Natsu fell onto the stiff mattress and closed his eyes while letting out a breath of air.

It's hard trying to love someone you see as a friend. Especially when you know that you'll just hurt them later on. The boy turned to his side, facing away from the glass window.

He didn't know how to tell Liss how he really felt. And he didn't want to see her hurt after what they'd been through together.

The pink haired male didn't want to lose his closest companion or make things awkward between them either.

He clenched the sheets tightly before smoothing them out and stuffed his face into the pillow.

Why couldn't he love her as a girl? Why did he have to just see her as a sister?

Everything would be simpler if he really did love her. If his heart beat when he was around her or if he was overwhelmed with affection for her; everything would be so much easier to deal with.

Suddenly, the blonde girl entered his mind. He remembered how his heart was beating when he finally caught her and kept hugging the girl even though they were soaking wet.

Natsu pushed that thought away hastily. He didn't love Lucy. At least, not at that moment.

The male froze at that phrase. WHAT? No way. He was 99.99% sure that he wasn't going to fall in love with Lucy. Not when he was in a relationship with Lissanna. The teen definitely wasn't a playboy like Loke.

The troubled and confused male slowly fell asleep with various thoughts running through his head.

But in the end, those thoughts all ended up as one sentence.

...

_Why am I so messed up?_

* * *

**Alright! This is longer than usual so YAY FOR THAT.**

**I always panic cause I feel what I write isn't good enough and I should change things. o.o But I always remind myself that I have you wonderful, wonderful people who have followed this story because of my writing no matter how bad I think it is. I really am grateful to all of you.**

**On another note, HAPPY FALL! You guys ready for free candy? I'm busy taking tests to get into high school... GAAAAAH. So stressful!**

**But writing helps me. And manga.**

**Otaku at heart ^-^**

**Anyways, thanks for reading and I'm currently working on my other stories and re-writing them! Also, look out for a one shot that I'm releasing soon!**

**-SkyFaires**


	14. Chapter 14- Guns and Piggy-Back Rides

**It's been a long time! I've finally managed to get writing again, and I hope you guys will enjoy reading this! **

**Thank you for staying, and I hope to get all of my stories up and going soon!**

**Love you all. **

**Thank you so much.**

**:)**

* * *

_ALL MESSED UP_

Igneel was sitting at home. It was Wednesday. A time when he usually sat down in front of the TV and ate chips all day. But it was different this time. He was standing in the middle of his bedroom, and he had been staring at the gun in his hands for a long time.

What was he going to do?

Igneel was just an average dad (and admittedly sometimes below average), and he was at a standstill. For one, he wasn't a cop. He had never dealt with a situation like this before. Heck, he'd never even held a gun until now! Yet, he was still looking at the metal object in his hand.

His eyes seemed to be looking at the weapon, but they were unfocused and dark. It was as if he was trying to make the gun disappear.

Of course, that couldn't happen.

He thought he was going crazy. What would someone sane in this situation do? Would they go to the police? Hire a detective? Interrogate the victims?

Well, that last one wasn't valid at all. Layla was still unconscious, and Igneel wasn't even sure what would happen to Lucy if he asked her about those things.

He suddenly frowned.

_Wait... why did Lucy even have this gun in the first place?_

His usually golden face paled significantly. Was she planning on tracking down the person that shot Layla? No. No, that couldn't be right... could it? After all, now that he had finally accepted the situation, anything could be possible.

Then, his mind suddenly flashed back to when Lucy was a child. He remembered how sweet and innocent she was. He remembered not being able to imagine any harm being done to her.

But this had happened. Something that made the family she had left suddenly disappear. So quickly, that she couldn't even believe it. Igneel was an adult now. He had read many stories of things like this before...

_But I never thought I'd be caught in one too._

It was true though. Life could end in a second. In that second you could lose all of your happiness. Lucy knew that better than he did right now. Igneel thought back to his teenage days. Even then, adults always said stuff like 'You don't know the true value of something until it's gone.' No one ever paid attention to those seemingly meaningless phrases. Now, as he thought back on it, Igneel realized the anger and frustration he felt.

Those people didn't know what true loss was. They basked in happiness, while others had never heard of the word.

_Well, I can't say much... since I was like that too._

He laughed at himself coldly. Then he collapsed onto the bed. After thirty minutes, Igneel stood up once more. He had made up his mind. He was going to see _that_ guy.

The only person he could confide in right now.

* * *

Lucy wasn't sure if this was a blessing, or a curse. Of course, the teacher had almost smashed into the wall after seeing her placement exam score, but Lucy thought those questions had been too easy. Even with her head feeling foggy, she had no problem answering those problems.

_Or am I just abnormal?_

Well, of course she wasn't normal. She never was, and she never would be. Even now, at her age, she had never gone to a party. She had never had friends. She hadn't even stepped inside a convenience store before!

Of course, Jude had let her outside a few times a week, but that was under his supervision. He would just go buy things while telling her to stay outside of the shop. She had never dared to do otherwise. In the end, she would just stand with her head looking at the ground.

Now, he was gone. He had run away.

But Lucy still wasn't free. And as she stood in that office, the blonde wondered if she ever would be.

"Well, you'll be in all of the advanced classes for sure." The teacher said. Lucy wondered if Natsu was in any advanced classes.

_Probably not._

She sighed silently. The pink haired boy was the only person she knew right now. She felt a bit uncomfortable knowing that she wouldn't know a single person in any of her classes.

Since she was little, her father just gave her random textbooks. Each year, new ones would arrive, and the old ones would be sold. She started to learn that if she didn't finish the lessons before the end of the year, she would never see them again. Thus, she would always speed through her books. It wasn't as if she had anything else to do anyways.

She wasn't sure if she was smart or not. After all, she had never had anyone to compare to.

Lucy looked out the window and gazed at the large tree outside. She saw students freely doing whatever they wanted. Her heart yearned for the chance to be like that.

She kept staring absentmindedly out of the window. Every time the man said something, she would just nod. Soon after, she found herself walking out of the room.

Just as she was turning the corner, she saw someone else coming out behind the wall. She immediately put her hands out in front of her body.

"Oh, sorry." She heard as someone brushed against her arm.

"Natsu?" Lucy asked after looking at the person she almost ran into.

"Lucy! You're done the test?" He asked. She was about to nod again, but suddenly decided against it.

"Yes." She spoke. He smiled after hearing her voice.

Natsu suddenly realized his expression and forced the smile away. He thought he looked creepy like that, and he didn't really want to make a bad impression on someone he recently met.

He then became aware of the shouts of people in the hallway behind them. He noticed how Lucy seemed to edge further back after hearing those voices from the classrooms.

He looked at her and decided against what he was originally going to ask her. Lucy probably didn't want to meet the loud and energetic friends that he had at that moment. Besides, it would probably cause an uproar if he did introduce her. If she felt uncomfortable with hearing Gray's girly screams, then she probably wasn't ready to actually see them yet.

He wasn't prepared for them to see her either. He fully understood the tense situation that Lucy was going through at that moment. He didn't want to risk having that leak out to his friends.

For some reason, he wanted to be the one to help her. Not anyone else.

Natsu shook those thoughts out of his mind, and he started leading the two of them out of the school.

"Come on, I'll take you back home." He spoke while watching Lucy hurry after him. He suddenly noticed what she was wearing, and his eyes widened a little.

She was actually wearing something with color on it. Up until now, he had never really seen her in girlish clothes. Now that her wardrobe was things that Grenadine used to wear, she looked like a girl he would see everyday on the streets. Someone he would glance at, and then walk away.

Except right now, she was someone who was on his mind all the time.

He was curious about her background. But he wouldn't ask her up front about it.

Even he wasn't THAT insensitive.

When they got out of the school, Natsu started going down the steps. After a second, he glanced behind his back to check up on Lucy. As soon as he saw the blonde, he noted her expression. She looked uncomfortable. It was the same look he had whenever he found out that he had to get onto a train, car, plane, etc.

Now that he was thinking about it, Natsu felt his stomach tense up. He immediately swallowed down the feeling of wanting to throw up.

Just as he was going to ask if she was alright, her foot missed the next step. Her brown eyes widened in surprise as she felt herself falling down. She noticed the ground coming closer to her face with each passing second.

Suddenly, a sturdy arm wrapped around her waist. She started to cough violently. She couldn't even give her thanks to him because of her scratchy throat.

"Lucy, do you feel sick right now?" He asked in a worried tone. After he had caught her and put her on a step to rest, he started examining her face.

The girl's usually pale skin had a pink tint to it. Her eyes were a bit red, and her throat sounded dry. After seeing that she wouldn't stop coughing, he quickly ran to get water from the vending machine. After she had gulped down half of the bottle, she found that her voice had returned.

"Thanks." She rasped to the boy standing in front of her.

Natsu kept staring at Lucy. He remembered when Wendy had been exactly like this a year ago. He had frantically run into the hospital while shouting for his mom to come, only to find that she WASN'T in life-threatening danger. It was just a fever. Nothing more, nothing less.

He was pretty sure now that Lucy had one too.

_Darn it. It must have been from when she was in the rain._

He recalled the memory of when he had been chasing her through the downpour in order to get that gun. He vaguely remembered his mom saying something about how he would get sick if he stayed in the rain for too long when he was a kid. Now that he had grown up, they discovered that he had a higher body temperature than other people. Because of this, he didn't really get sick too much anymore.

But that didn't apply for Lucy.

He touched her forehead immediately. The girl looked up, startled.

"You have a fever." He stated. They stared at each other in silence.

"I'm fine." She said while shaking her head.

"No. Even though I'm not a genius like my sister, I can tell when someone's sick. You're gonna have to go home." He brushed his hands off and stood up.

"Really, it's noth-" Lucy suddenly sneezed loudly. Natsu grinned. The glint in his eyes annoyed the blonde. It was as if he was saying _See? I'm right._

Lucy frowned at him.

"A sneeze doesn't mean I'm sick."

Natsu chuckled, "Well now it does."

The blonde sighed. She gave up against this stubborn, pink haired male. She had a feeling he wouldn't stop until he had his way. Besides, she _had_ been feeling warmer since this morning. Maybe he was right.

As she looked up again, she noticed Natsu crouching down with his back facing her.

"What are you doing?" She asked while feeling confused.

"Get on my back. I'll carry you home." He stated nonchalantly. He used to do this with Lisanna all the time when they were children. He didn't really see anything wrong with it now.

"No, no, it's okay. I can walk." She said while staring at him with a darker pink on her cheeks.

"Come on. It's fine." He said while not moving from his position. Lucy was silent. Then, she slowly got up and shuffled behind Natsu.

"Do-do I just..." She stared at him with an unsure gaze.

"Put your arms around my neck, and wrap your legs around my waist." He explained. He smiled in amusement. He never had to explain what a piggy back ride was before. The way she awkwardly tried to get on a few times was... cute. Like a puppy playing with a new toy.

After finally succeeding, he wrapped his arm around her legs and stood up slowly. She almost squeaked in surprise, but managed to hold it in.

She was up in the air, only being supported by a guy she had met a few days ago. Somehow, she felt that she could trust him. After marveling at his pink hair once more, she lowered her head.

"Thank you, Natsu."

She kept her head in her air, not daring to lean onto him more than she already was. She could fully feel the warmth of his back beneath her. Even though she already felt hot, this sort of heat didn't bother her at all. It was something she had never felt before.

Natsu smiled after hearing her speak.

It was the first time she had said his name out loud. He felt as if the distance between them had closed a bit more.

"No problem." He replied.

o-o-o-o-o-o

Lisanna was looking at the door. Natsu had been in the bathroom for twenty minutes now.

_He didn't go and get in trouble again, did he?_

She giggled to herself. Then, she tuned out of the teacher's lecture and looked out the window.

The girl gazed at the courtyard in peace. As she was looking around, she noticed two people walking out of the gate. She usually would just think nothing of it, but a flash of pink caught her eye.

She focused on that person carefully. After seeing who it was, she almost gasped in shock. Why was Natsu leaving the school?

Just as she was going to ask the teacher to leave, she noticed something else too. A girl, sitting on his back. A flash of jealousy swept across her heart.

She could only stare at the two in shock. Her hands clenched.

_Who is she?_

* * *

**Thank you for reading! I hope my writing hasn't gotten worse over these months.**

**How did you like this chapter? IT"S OVER 2,000 WORDS. I'M AMAZED MYSELF.**

**Anyways, thank you so much for not throwing this story into the gutter and forgetting about it forever! (I keep killing myself with these thoughts -_-)**

**You are all amazing people, and I love you all very much.**

**-SkyFairies**


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